Wind-wheee



ABNER L.` BUTTERFIELD, OF WVEST DUMMERSTONa VERMONLHL.

WIND-WHEEL.

Specification of LettersPatent No. 22,623, dated January 18, 1859:

ham and State of Vermont, have invented a new and Improved Vind-Vheel;and I` do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of t-he same, A

reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure l, is a vertical section of myinvention, taken in the line m, m, Fig. 2. Fig. 2, is a lan or top viewof ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in bothfigures.

This invention consists in the employment or use of a series ofcollapsible sails arranged and applied to radial arms, as hereinafterfully shown and described, whereby a very simple and efficient wind millis obtained.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a vertical shaft which is tted or placed in a properframing B, and C, represents four horizontal arms which are attached tothe shaft A, at its upper end. The shaft A, is allowed to rotate freelyin the framing B, and to the end of each arm C, a rectangular frame D,is attached.

To the frames D, the sails E, are attached, one to each. These sails areformed each of two V-shaped boards or plates a, a, the edges of which ateach side are connected by leather Z), or any other suitable flexiblesubstance or fabric. The back or narrow end of the upper plate or boarda, of each sail, is hinged to the corresponding end of the lower plateor board, and the leather or fabric b, is allowed to be suiciently fullto enable the plates or boards a, a, to be distended so that each sailwill form a chamber to receive the wind. To the back part of each bottomplate or board a, of the sails, a valve c, is attached. These valves areordinary flap valves opening outward and a spring d, is made to bearagainst the under side of each, the springs prevent-ing the valves fromcasually opening.

To the bottom plate or board a, of each sail a bar F, is secured. Thesebars F, pass entirely through the sails and the front ends of the barsare secured to the lower ends of uprights G, said uprights being fittedin lateral projections e, attached to the frame D; the journalsvofthe-uprights beingy allowed to turn freely'in the projections: e... Thesails E, therefore, it will beseen, have a certain degree of lateral`play allowed them, the object 0f which will` be `hereinafter shown.

of the uprights G, said lrods serving as sup-A ports or braces.V

Ineach upright G, a slide g, `is placed"` from it. To the upper platesor boards a, rods z', are attached, one to each, said rods projectingfrom the fronts of the plates and ,passing through guides j, attached tothe sides of the uprights, and resting on the arms it, of the slides, asshown clearly in Fig. l. To the upper end of each slide g, a cord orchain lo, is attached, and these cords pass upward through the upperparts of the frames D, and are connected to cords or chains Z, whichpass through a guideplate H, which is secured to the ends of rods m,that project from the upper end of the frames D, the plate H, beingdirectly over the top of the shaft A. The cords l, pass down into theupper part of the shaft A, and through holes in its side, and areattached to a ring or annular plate n, which encompasses the shaft A,see Fig. 1.

To each upright G, a spring catch 0, is attached. These catches are soarranged as to project over the front edges of the upper plates orboards a, when they are down or rest on the lower plates, said catchesretaining the upper plates in such position. To each catch o, a cord p,is attached. These cords extend upward through the upper parts of theframes D, and are attached to cords g, which extend down through thecenter of plate H, into shaft A, and through holes in its side, and areattached to a ring or annular plate r, which encompasses the shaft A.

The operation is as follows: When the wind wheel is at rest, the sailsE, are closed, that is to say, the upper and lower plates or boards a,a, are quite close together and the catches 0, project over the upperplates or boards a, and prevent the wind from raising them. When thewheel is to be operated the attendant draws the chains or cords g, g, soas to release the catches 0. The cords or chains Z, are then also drawndown and A rod f, is attachedwto thei back ends of each `bar F, to theupper parts `ing as their back ends face the wind. The

sails E, in consequence of being attached to the arms C, as shown anddescribed, are, by means of the lateral play or movement allowed them inthe frames D, enabled to adjust themselves properly to the wind so thatthe latter will act against them at right angles. The upper p-lates a,when the wheel is not to be rotated are allowed to descend, the cords Z,being lowered, and the stops 04, will again pass over the upper platesa, and prevent them from rising. In case the wind has great velocity,the wheel is prevented from having too great a speed in consequence ofthe valves c, opening, the

springs d, yielding to the pressure and allowing a portion of the windthatl entersthe sail to escape.

I am aware that collapsible sails for wind wheels have been previouslyused, and I am also aware 'that valves have been employed and arrangedsimilar to those herein shown and described. I therefore do not claimbroadly the sails E, nor the valves, but

I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

Attaching the sails E, to the frames D, of the arms C, substantially asshown, so as to permit of a self-lateral adjustment of the same, andusing the catches 0,7and slides g, with cords attached, for respectivelylocking the sails and freeing them from the locks or catches,substantially as described.

ABNER: L. BUTTERFIELD.

Witnesses:

ENos LEONARD, J. R. LEONARD.

